Some suggestions have been made in the past to employ available technology for the purpose of automating transactions concerning vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,044 (the '044 patent) to Stewart et al. suggests a system that includes a processing system on-board a vehicle for gathering data related to the operational history of the vehicle and transferring the data to a stationery processing system. The system provides information to a mechanic regarding needed repairs and automates commercial transactions such as the billing of vehicle rentals or of repair work to an owned/leased vehicle. The on-board system includes a processor for collecting data from sensors associated with selected operations systems of the vehicle (e.g., lights, drive train, tires, and fluid levels). Depending upon the system monitored, the processor may continually update its condition (e.g., mileage and gas level) in a storage area or it may only store information when service is required (e.g., lights and drive train). When the vehicle enters a service area, the on-board system is interrogated for its stored information. The interrogation is executed by an annunciator system which first detects the physical presence of the vehicle and then transmits an RF interrogation signal to a receiver on-board the vehicle and coupled to the on-board processor. If the interrogation signal is recognized by the on-board processor, a vehicle identification code along with the stored information in converted to an RF signal and transmitted from the vehicle. The '044 patent is incorporated herein by reference.
The system described in the '044 patent connects the on-board processor to each of the components in the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle may have to be substantially modified to accommodate the system described in the '044 patent. Further, the vehicle includes a receiver and a transmitter. As a result, the cost and complexity of the system is increased.